Protesters gathered Wednesday at the old Read's Drug Store at the corner of Howard and Lexington streets to help get it listed as an historic site. The mayor's office said they're working toward that same goal and have already spent more than a half million dollars to preserve it.

"It was part of the super block, which is one of the earliest business blocks, African-American business blocks in the city of Baltimore, that's No. 1. No. 2, it had the first sit-in in the country, Jan. 22, 1955," said Helena Hicks, who was part of the 1955 sit-in.

Hicks is leading a charge to try to get the building declared an historic site. The city is working with a developer and the protesters are afraid that the developer will demolish the building. The city said that's not true.

"There are no plans to demolish Read's Drug Store. Actually, a significant amount of money -- hundreds of thousands of dollars -- has been invested into this building to preserve the structure," said Caron Brace from the mayor's office.

Hicks said the site needs to be preserved as a symbol of Baltimore's role in the civil rights movement, especially for children.

"They know about the civil rights movement. They have no symbol of the civil rights movement being effective in this city, some place they can come and they can say, 'We broke down segregation in the United States of America,'" Hicks said.

The city said the project to preserve Read's has been held up by litigation with the developer, but they insist there is no way they will let Read's be torn down. The city has established a panel to figure out how best to preserve the site. The protesters want to make sure they and the city are working together toward the same goal.

"Let's do something positive, very uplifting with this location, and we're encouraging our elected leadership to understand and hear our cry that we want this to be a civil rights location," said Marvin "Doc" Cheatham, a civil rights leader.

So far there's no timeline on when the litigation will be over and when the project can begin.

TENSIONS ARE RUNNING HIGH AROUND A PROJECT TO PRESERVE THE CIVIL RIGHTS LANDMARK IN DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE. THE DRUGSTORE IS LISTED AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK. THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IS WORKING TOWARD A SIMILAR GOAL. KIM DACEY IS LIVE WITH THE LATEST. WHAT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING HERE SEEMS TO BE A MISCOMMUNICATION. THE PROTESTERS DO NOT WANT THE DRUGSTORE TORN DOWN. THE MAYOR'S OFFICE SAYS THEY ARE NOT GOING TO LET THAT HAPPEN. THEY HAVE SPENT MORE THAN HALF $1 MILLION TO PRESERVE IT. WHY WON'T THE MAYOR LEAVE IT? A PROTESTER LASHES OUT AT THE MAYOR'S SPOKESPERSON TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE PROTESTERS WANT TO PRESERVE THE BUILDING BECAUSE OF ITS HISTORY. IT WAS PART OF THE SUPERBLOCK, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE EARLIEST AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESS BLOCKS IN THE CITY OF BALTIMORE. THAT IS NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, IT HAD THE FIRST SIT IN IN THE COUNTRY. JANUARY 22, 1965. DR. HELENE A HAIG'S WAS PART OF THAT SITTING AND IS LEADING THE CHARGE TO GET THE BUILDING DECLARED IN HISTORIC SITES. PROTESTERS ARE CONCERNED THAT THE CITY WILL DEMOLISHED IT. THE CITY SAYS THAT IS NOT TRUE. THERE ARE NO PLANS TO DEMOLISH READ'S DRUGSTORE. ACTUALLY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN INVESTED REGARDING THE STRUCTURE. DR. HICKS SAYS THAT THE BUILDING NEEDS TO BE PRESERVED, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN. THEY KNOW ABOUT THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, BUT THEY HAVE NO SYMBOL OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT BEING EFFECT DID IN THE CITY. SOMEPLACE THEY CAN COME, THEY CAN SAY, WE BROKE DOWN SEGREGATION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THE PROJECT TO PRESERVE IT HAS BEEN HELD UP WITH THE DEVELOPER, BUT THE CITY SAYS THERE IS NO WAY THEY WILL LET IT BE TORN DOWN. THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED A PANEL OF FOLKS TO PRESERVE THE SITE. LET'S DO SOMETHING VERY POSITIVE, VERY UPLIFTING WITH THIS LOCATION. WE ARE ENCOURAGING OUR ELECTED LEADERSHIP TO UNDERSTAND AND HEAR OUR CRY THAT WE WANT THIS TO BE A CIVIL RIGHTS LOCATION.